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Author Notes:My inspiration for making soup is often a convergence of too many summer veggies in the refrigerator with homemade stock and leftovers from a roast chicken. This recipe is not an authentic tortilla soup, as its dictated by the contents of my veggie drawer, but it's always chock-a-block full of summer corn, peppers, and beans. If I have a zucchini, I'll throw that in, too. The tortillas strips are easy to make with leftover tortillas lying in the fridge, but you can also skip that step and crumble tortilla chips over the soup if you wish. —TasteFood

Serves: 4 to 6

Tortilla Strips:

2
large tortillas

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the tortillas with oil and season with salt. Slice into 1/4-inch strips. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice.

Soup:

1
tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1
medium yellow onion, chopped

1
large poblano pepper, halved and seeded, cut into 1/4-inch strips

1
sweet red bell pepper, seeded, diced

1
jalapeño pepper, seeded, finely chopped

3
garlic cloves, minced

4
cups chicken stock

1
(28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice

1/4
cup tomato paste

2
teaspoons ground cumin

1
teaspoon sweet paprika

1
teaspoon ground coriander

1/4
teaspoon ground cloves

3/4
pound shredded cooked chicken breast

1
cup fresh corn kernels (from one cobb)

1
cup cooked black beans

1 to 2
teaspoons salt

1
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4
cup cilantro leaves, chopped, plus extra for garnish

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the the onion and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the peppers and sauté until bright and slightly softening, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, plum tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, cumin, paprika, coriander and cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Stir in the chicken, corn, black beans, salt, and black pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Depending on the acidity of the tomatoes, you might want to add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir in the chopped cilantro leaves. Serve warm, garnished with additional cilantro and tortilla strips/chips.

I made this for dinner tonight - it was delicious! Served with avacado chunks, fresh cilantro, sour cream , tortilla strips and green onion slices as garnish. I think the flavors will meld wonderfully by tomorrow!